“Laufey’s themes are humor, playfulness and youthfulness.  Her symbols are a piece of wood and any humorous items.  On this day of pranks and foolery, look to Laufey to show you how to hone your funny bone. As the mother of the great trickster Loki, if anyone understands and can teach the value of raillery and good-intended tricks, it is She!

Spring’s upbeat theme continues into April, offsetting the rains with laughter. If it’s been a while since you really chuckled, consider renting a good comedy movie. As you watch it, light a candle and ask Laufey to join you!

Or, improve your sense of humor and draw a little luck your way by making a Laufey charm. In Teutonic tradition, Laufey’s name means ‘wooded isle’, because She furnished her son with firewood. So, to represent Her, begin with a stick no larger than the palm of your hand and a small feather (any kind). Draw an ascending spiral on the stick with a green magic marker (green is spring’s color and encourages growth). Attach the feather to the end of the stick to ‘tickle your fancy’. Energize the token, saying:

‘Laufey, in this stick of green
place a sense of humor ever keen
And when upon the stick I knock
bring to me a bit of luck.’

Hold the token whenever you find your humor failing; knock on the wood when you need better fortune to bring a smile back to your face.”

(Patricia Telesco, “365 Goddess: a daily guide to the magic and inspiration of the goddess”.)

“Forest Mist” by Jonathon Earl Bowser

Laufey  is a giantess from Norse mythology, the mother of Loki. Eddic poetry refers to Loki by the matronym Loki Laufeyjarson rather than with a patronymic.  According to the Prose Edda, Loki is Laufey’s or Nál’s son by the giant Fárbauti, and has the brothers Býleistr and Helblindi. Some stories say that Laufey gave birth to Loki when a lightning bolt thrown by Fárbauti struck Her. Laufy apparently did not raise Loki, since Icelandic author Snorri Sturluson and others say the trickster god was a foster brother of Odin, the most powerful Norse god. This may explain why Loki, god of mischief and chaos, was such an agitating Norse god.

Despite being a giantess, Laufy was very slender and weak, which earned Her the name Nál, meaning “needle”; according to Sörla þáttr. The meaning of Laufey is less clear but is generally taken to be “full of leaves”; as Fárbauti means “dangerous hitter,” there is a possible nature mythological interpretation with lightning hitting the leaves or needles of a tree to give rise to fire. [1] [2] [3] [4]

 

 

 

 

Sources:

GodsLaidBare.com, “Laufey“.

Helium, “The History and Significance of the God: Farbauti“.

North Mythology: the dictionary of norse mythology, “Laufey“.

Wikipedia, “Laufey“.

 

 

Suggested Links:

Daly, Kathleen N., Rengal, Marian. Norse Mythology A to Z.

Kaldera, Raven. Northernpaganism.org, “Laufey’s Son“.

Krasskova, Galina, Wodening, Swain. Exploring the Northern Tradition: A Guide to the Gods, Lore and Rites and Celebrations from the Norse, German and Anglo-Saxon Traditions, “Laufey“.

Lindow, John. Norse Mythology: A Guide to the Gods, Heroes, Rituals and Beliefs.

Shadowlight, “Grandmother Nal“.